Battle Plans
Summary Constance, Matthias, and Basil Stag Hare are watching the camp of Cluny's Horde, which is just out of range of their archers' weapons. Constance decides that they need to assassinate Cluny the Scourge. She is overheard by Killconey, who is clinging to the walls just below them. Cluny, meanwhile, is having another nightmare. Cheesethief enters his tent with a dagger, but Cluny awakens and throws him out of the tent. Cheesethief boasts to Redtooth that he is going to kill Cluny, and Killconey overhears the exchange. He reports to Cluny, who summons Cheesethief to his tent. Cluny tells the rat that he is going to be away for some time and leaves him in charge. At Redwall Abbey, Cornflower helps Matthias drag a tree from the orchard to Constance and Basil, who fashion it into a large crossbow. They decide to keep the plan secret, because Abbot Mortimer disapproves of attacking first. By mounting the crossbow on a table, they achieve sufficient power to hit a barrel from a long distance, and completely shatter it. Killconey observes the testing, and goes to alert Cluny. Cluny is at Saint Ninian's Church, supervising construction of a siege tower on top of the cart they arrived in. After hearing Killconey's report, he orders Cheese thief to examine the battle plans which are in his tent. Cheesethief finds Cluny's armor in the tent, and tries it on. Basil, Matthias, and Constance see his shadow from the top of the wall, and fire the crossbow, killing Cheesethief with the shot. When the trio report their success to the Abbot, he is sad that they had to resort to assassination, and orders for the guards to be removed, and a feast to be prepared. While working in the kitchen together, Cornflower tells Matthias that she is disappointed at not getting a chance to be brave. At the vermin camp, Cluny returns, and finding that both Cheesethief and the Redwaller's assassination attempt has been dealt with, orders his army to move the siege tower to Redwall, where the feast is well under way. During the feast, Constance decides that they need some guards out, and dispatches Foremole to the recently-constructed listening tunnels. She also takes Basil and Matthias with her to patrol the walls. Cornflower sees them go, and decides to bring some food to the guards. Cluny's tower reaches the walls, and at a signal from Killconey, Redtooth and another rat overpower the sentries. Cornflower arrives, and throws the soup at the pair. The rats fall from the wall, and Cornflower shouts for help while she sets fire to the tower with her lantern. Cluny jumps over the flames and charges Cornflower, who picks up a spear. The tower collapses before Cluny can attack her, and Matthias, Basil, and Constance arrive with archers to rout Cluny's army. Cornflower tells them that Cluny is still alive, and comments that she did get to test her courage after all. Official Synopsis Conspiring with Matthias, Constance Badger builds a huge crossbow and shoots Cluny-- but Cluny uses a substitute and escapes her arrow. Unknown to Redwall, he plans an attack with a huge mobile siege tower and the Abbey is only saved when courageous Cornflower single-handedly burns it down. Only then does the Abbey realize Cluny is still alive and only Cornflower stood between them and disaster. Matthias and Cornflower become even closer warrior-friends. Differences from Redwall *Although in both the book and the TV series, Cheesethief struggled to reach higher rank, even resorting to assassination of his own comrades, he never went so far as to attempt to overthrow Cluny in the book. *In the book, Matthias was still off on his mission and was not present with either the crossbow or the siege tower. *The Beaver, who helped Constance to build the crossbow in the book, does not exist in the series. *In the episode, Killconey spies on the Redwallers and finds out about their plan to assassinate Cluny. In the book, Killconey does no spying whatsoever and Cluny never finds out about it and escapes by pure luck. *In the book, only Constance and the Beaver know about the crossbow. In the series, Matthias, Basil, Brother Hugo and Cornflower know about it too. *In the book; Redtooth is killed by Constance in the incident with Sela, in the TV series, Redtooth is killed in this episode by Cornflower. Featurettes Segments include: *"Redwall Animals" *"Villains" *"Rats" *"Character Spotlight: King Bull Sparra" *"Redwall Trivia" *"Ask the Author: Brian Jacques" Category:Episodes Category:Season 1